DESCRIPTION

This full day workshop is intended to raise awareness of and sensitivity by researchers around critical methodological and ethical issues working particularly in online or Internet-mediated realms.  It is well accepted that research conducted on and through the Internet raises unique dilemmas and complexities. This workshop will begin with the interesting case of the UK Data Archive, which will allow participants to think through an array of confounding methods and ethics. The case will encourage cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural thinking, as the case delves into issues of representation, consent, ownership,  public versus private space, researcher presence and reflexivity, among other methodological and ethical debates. In addition to the case study, the role of the ethics board, or IRB, will be represented and discussed, with suggestions for participants on completing the process of IRB reviews of Internet research.  A unique component of this workshop will be the exploration of the tensions between methods and ethics in online research, and there will be ample opportunity to examine these complexities over the course of the day.

Throughout the day, participants will have the opportunity to visit different “stations” occupied by workshop presenters, each of whom provides a specific expertise in online methods and ethics, so that participants may discuss and consult with their colleagues regarding particular issues. The format will follow that of “poster sessions” in which each presenter at the various stations will have time to make general comments, augmented by a poster or notes, after which participants can engage in more detailed discussion and consultation.  At each station, participants will collect various reading lists and materials, as well as suggested tasks or research questions, revolving around the rapidly evolving technology of today, which will then be discussed collectively at the end of the session.

Participants will be encouraged to bring examples of their research questions for consideration.

SCHEDULE (subject to change)

9-9:30: Introductions, Overview of Day’s Objectives
9:30-10:15: Critical Methods and Issues: An Overview of the UK Data Archive Case
10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-12:15: Methods of Internet Research Stations—Various methods and perspectives will be represented by presenters including researcher reflexivity, critical ethnography, mixed methods, online survey work, data archiving and banking, products versus methods, online experiments

Lunch Break

1:15-2:15: Overview of Ethics in Internet/e-Research, IRB Review
2:15-4:00: Designing Ethical Studies Stations—Various ethical issues in research will be represented by presenters including online informed consent, consent and representation in data banks, anonymity/pseudonymity, data longevity, debriefing, legal versus ethical issues in research, security, online deception
4:00-4:30: Discussion of Key Issues and Critical Challenges

PRESENTERS

Kimberly. A. Bachard, U. Nevada-Las Vegas
Elizabeth A. Buchanan, U. Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Annamaria Carusi, Oxford e-Research Center
Alpha Selene DeLap, U. Washington
Rebecca Enyon, Oxford Internet Institute
Charles Ess, Drury University
Lori Kendall, U. Illinois-Urbana Champaign
Annette Markham, U. Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Michael Zimmer, U. Wisconsin-Milwaukee

FEES

• Full Day: $75.00
• Full Day (Students) $50.00
• Half Day (excluding lunch) $35.00
• Half Day (Students) (excluding lunch) $20.00

LOGISTICS

• Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009
• Location: TBA

ORGANIZER

Elizabeth A. Buchanan, U. Wisconsin-Milwaukee
eliz1679@uwm.edu